March 05, 2017

Jeffrey for Seagull Salon #FUCKTRUMP

Under the authoritarian thumb of a tyrannical president, the dizzying pace at which a myriad of social/political/environmental issues are stacking up is unprecedented. Each time that “BREAKING NEWS” bulletin appears on my Facebook feed, I think “oh fuck, NOW what?!” Another social injustice? Another encroachment of civil liberties? Another attempt to suppress the truth and silence those who oppose the powers that be? … all in the stroke of a narcissists pen. For the first time in recent memory, the public is TRIGGERED. The wake-up call comes a moment too late, but people are finally, nonetheless, “woke”. In the age of “#notmypresident” and “#fucktrump”, no hashtag is more discernible than “#NODAPL”. The Dakota Access Pipeline resonates with people on a rudimentary level, with it’s reckless abandon for bottom-line profits. Big oil has never been concerned with the wellbeing of the public or the environment. Big oil knew 40 years ago that the burning of fossil fuels would trigger changes in our atmosphere putting all of our most diverse habitats at risk, yet they allowed us to waste a quarter of a century debating whether or not global warming was even real. They paid top scientists to deny the truth and began a campaign of doubt designed to mislead the public. The result is our modern fuel thirsty America, which has a dangerous addiction it desperately needs to kick. I believe the Dakota Pipeline is the perfect vehicle to promote public divestment. I was absolutely thrilled to see people congregating across the nation to say one thing: “NO DAPL!”. People are outraged. The social media presence, the t-shirts, the headlines, I see the hipsters in Brooklyn with their Standing Rock Sioux hoodies. Marvelous! But how many of those people are really willing to do something profound? Like, for example, giving up their cars and switching to green energy? I truly believe we can only be saved by public opinion, the government will never do it for us. We must drive the demand for safe alternative solutions to our energy and transportation challenges. Every time we buy something we are voting with our dollars. So I encourage/challenge you: ride a bike, take the bus, carpool, or walk for Christ’s sake. Just DON’T give these frackers your money. Not every person has the economic means to do the “right” thing, but every little bit counts. Without a collective decision to drop fossil fuels, we will never gain the momentum to fight climate change in the frighteningly narrow window of time we have left. Winning slowly is the same as losing in this case. It would mean losing a battle we cannot afford to lose: the survival of the human race. Divesting from fossil fuels as much as possible will support the growth of a more sustainable future for ourselves and the planet. So stand up and do something great!